The Ford Barn - View Single Post

tubman · 11-23-2023, 09:05 AM

From my experience, I think you are on the right track being concerned with maintaining a good contact between the new condenser and the shell. Any deficiencies here will lead to intermittent problems and flakey performance. Since mine are brass, I can solder all of the connections, which is 100% foolproof if done properly.

As to the "heat problem", a lot would depend on the type and quality of the donor you are using. Mine are rated at 550 degrees Fahrenheit so they can take a little momentary heat. I think all you can do is try it and see if there are any ill effects.

My main concern would be the quality of the donor condenser you are using. They may be fine, or possibly prone to the problems plaguing most new condensers these days; I can't tell from here. In any event, kudos to you for taking this on. I had considered doing something like this, but the amount of labor involved made it impractical. If you can solve the contact problem, this looks like something most hobbyists could reasonably take on and would yield a good looking and reliable unit.

11-23-2023, 09:05 AM	#7
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,347	Re: Condenser Restoration From my experience, I think you are on the right track being concerned with maintaining a good contact between the new condenser and the shell. Any deficiencies here will lead to intermittent problems and flakey performance. Since mine are brass, I can solder all of the connections, which is 100% foolproof if done properly. As to the "heat problem", a lot would depend on the type and quality of the donor you are using. Mine are rated at 550 degrees Fahrenheit so they can take a little momentary heat. I think all you can do is try it and see if there are any ill effects. My main concern would be the quality of the donor condenser you are using. They may be fine, or possibly prone to the problems plaguing most new condensers these days; I can't tell from here. In any event, kudos to you for taking this on. I had considered doing something like this, but the amount of labor involved made it impractical. If you can solve the contact problem, this looks like something most hobbyists could reasonably take on and would yield a good looking and reliable unit.